Behind Kniffin’s hole-in-one, DHS girls golf takes 2nd

On the ninth hole of Montroses Black Canyon, Kniffin hit a flat drive with a 9-iron from 127 yards out. The Durango High School girls golfer had no idea the ball had gone in until she walked up to the pin.

It was really surprising, Kniffin said. It just hit the green and rolled right into the hole.

That doesnt happen very often.

No, especially to a 17-year-old, DHS head coach Kirk Rawles said. So it was pretty exciting. She was just on Cloud 9.

Kniffin led the Demons to a second-place finish, too, finishing with a 90 on Thursday. Haleigh Lyon followed with a 94, Natalie Lyon a 95, and Reily Waldo rounded out the under-100 Demons with a 98.

Durango finished second out of eight teams with a 279 behind Montroses 253. The Indians were led by medalist Kala Keltz and her 77.

Grand Junction Central finished third with 280, Palisade fourth with 282, and Fruita Monument was fifth with 290.

I think its great, Rawles said. Weve had four players shoot below 100 the first two rounds of the year ... so thats an awesome start.

Junior varsity golfer Jessica Pohlman dropped almost 30 strokes from her round Wednesday at Devils Thumb in Delta to finish with a 108, and Amanda Rydiger rounded out the Demons field with 110.

DHS will get a couple of weeks off before they play Bookcliff on April 1 and Tiara Rado on April 2 in Grand Junction.

HHH

DHS also got a thumbs up at Devils Thumb.

The Durango High School girls golf team took second behind Natalie Lyons career-best round in the Demons first day of golf this season at Devils Thumb on Wednesday in Delta.

Lyons 86 was good for fourth place.

She played, again, the best round shes ever had, and she definitely even left a few strokes out there with that, Rawles said after Wednesdays round.

Understandable, considering the only real golf practice the Demons have had yet this year was hitting a few balls at Dalton Ranch and a little bit of putting work at Hillcrest last week.

Taylor Walter of Rifle was the medalist with a 73, and Montrose won the day with a 240 team score.

Durango took second with a 274, just ahead of Grand Junctions 281.

Kniffin shot a 92 for Durango  one of her better rounds shes ever had, Rawles said  Haleigh Lyon shot a 96, Waldo a 97 and Rydiger a 108.

To have four girls break 100 in the first round of the year leaves me fairly optimistic, Rawles said.

Pohlman shot a 137.

Well definitely need to work on the short game  chipping and putting, Rawles said.

They just got to put some miles in, now. Play some, go back and work on it; play and work on it.